Apple Hires Comedy Exec Dana Tuinier

Courtesy of TVLand

Dana Tuinier

She joins the streaming giant from The Paramount Network.

Apple is gearing up to go big into comedy.

The streaming giant has hired a new comedy executive, Dana Tuinier. She joins Apple's Worldwide Video unit, where she'll report to head of development Matt Cherniss. In her new role, Tuinier will work on the new platform's recently announced half-hour comedy series starring Kristen Wiig and produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Tuinier boards Apple from The Paramount Network, where she was vp development and original programming. Previously, she served on the TV Land development team and oversaw shows including Younger and Teachers. Before that, Tuinier was at Fox Broadcasting Company in the comedy development and current departments, where she worked on comedies like New Girl, Bob’s Burgers and Glee.

Of the five scripted shows Apple has ordered to series so far, the Wiig starrer marks the only comedy. Other shows picked up include Jennifer Aniston and Witherspoon's morning-show drama, Steven Spielberg and Bryan Fuller's sci-fi rebootAmazing Stories, Ronald D. Moore's space drama, and Steven Knight and Francis Lawrence's world-building epicSee. Apple also recently picked up its first docuseries, a real estate show called Home. In addition, the platform is currently in a bidding war with HBO for J.J. Abrams' first scripted TV series since Fringe.